Process of compacting fibrous and other particles.



J. H. RIVERS.

PROCESS OF COMPACTING FIBROUS AND OTHER PARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED AUG.28, 1905. RENEWED JULY 26. 1915.

1 1,174,180. Patented Mar.7,1916.

. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Ma Z IIIIIIIIIIL UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN H. RIVERS, OF'ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

UNIVERSAL FIBRE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Application filed August 28, 1905, Serial No. 276,179. Renewed July 26 1915. Serial No. 42,070.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JULIAN H. RIVERS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Process of Compacting Fibrous and diffused as required for the best final results.

I will explain the various stages and results in the process in connection with an approved form of machine for shaping articles of one class, as shown in the drawings which. form part ofthis specification, stating, however, that the process can be followed with equal satisfaction in producing various other articles, all of which will be readily understood by those skilled in this art.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine for producing boXes by my new process. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, with part of the framework broken away in order better to show some of the essential parts. Fig. 3 is a view of the under side of the bottom of the container and former. Fig. 4 is a section thereof, and Fig. 5 shows the construction of the supporting wall of the former.

The structural features of the machine illustrated, which are involved in the practice of the invention, comprise a tank or contalner 1 having an inlet 2 through which the fibrous and other materials to be compacted, and the liquid or a portion thereof may be fed. The inlet should be provided with means for closing, such for instance as the float valvev 3, which will be forced to close position whenever the tank or container becomes filled. The bottom 4 of the container is concave and has an opening 5 through which the contents may pass to the former or formers, supported underneath. The former shown consists of the perforated side plates .6 attached to hinged supports 7. Across the inner faces of said supports are formed ll-shaped grooves 8 and at right angles thereto 'on the outer faces of said supports similar grooves 9 are formed, said grooves being of sufficient depth to form holes 10. The supports 6 are attached to the plates 11 which are hinged at 12 so that they may be swung outward at times. Tog- ,gle connection 13 may be utilized to control and brace the sides 1n operative position.

A vertically movable bottom is supported by any approved arrangement below the sides 6. This bottom is of the same construction as the sides, consisting of a perforated plate or screen 14 and a grooved and perforated support 15. The latter is attached to supporting members 16' operating through guides 17 and connected at their lower ends to a shaft 18 which is upheld by links 19 carried by a shaft 20 on the lower ends of the links 21, suspended by the frame of the machine. The ends of the shaft 18 operate in guides 2- Bv swinging the shaft 20 outward as ind'cated by dotted lines in Fig 1, the bottom will be lowered a sufiicient distance to permit removal of the article compacted in the formers.

23 indicates a valve controlled inlet through which additional liquid may be injected into the container. This inlet enters, preferably, near the bottom,andis injected obliquely upward, (Fig. 1), so that liquid entering therethrough will agitate and assist in difi'using the contents of the container without creating or causing descending currents. It is desirable to avoid the action of descending currents during agitation, so that even deposition against the sides and bottom of the former or formers, of an advance or first portion of the fibrous material may occur, as presently described. Currents passing into or through the former or formers, would obstruct even deposition and would cause bulking of the mass.

In practice the fibrous and other material or materials, mixed withmore or less liquid,

are put into the container through the inlet 2, and at the sametime liquid is injected into the container through the inlet 23, the flow thereof continuing until the container is nearly full, or until the valve 3 is closed. The stream of liquid so injected agitates the contents and causes-the materialsthat are to be compacted to become thoroughly diffused. As soon as the materialsare put into'the container the liquid commences to flow through the perforated sides and bottom of the former with nearly equal speed and this movement and. escape of the liquid results in the deposit of some of the fibrous material against the sides and bottom, the perforations therein being too small to permit passage of said material. The fibers being thus laid across the holes stop the material following, as the liquid flows, or is forced, through the former.

After the container has been filled, and after a portion of the material has been deposited against the walls and bottom of the perforated former compressed air or steam is admitted into the container, preferably above the contents, through an inlet 24. The inrushing air or steam, because of its natural tendency to expand, quickly and forcefully drives all the liquid through the perforated former, and the liquid carries the fibrous and other material into the said former and evenly compacts and felts the same therein, the walls and bottom of the former shaping the exterior of the product. If light substances alone are to be compacted, the water or liquid entering through the pipe 23 will cause approximately even diffusion of such substances. If heavy substances are included, the liquid nearer the top of the container will be somewhat clearer than that at the bottom. Heavy and light particles, such as fibrous pulp and powdered, pulverized or' comminuted cements'or other minerals may be mixed together to form a composite article, in which case the pulp will be nearly evenly distributed in the liquid while the mineral substances will be heaviest near the bottom. In such case the pulverized or triturated cement in the finished product will be'densest near the surface first formed while the greatest quantity of pulp will be toward the surface last formed, but there will be no Stratification or formation of layers. This is the structure of highest efliciency for many articles such as boxes which are subject to frequent handling and the exterior of such articles should be the first formed. Theair or steam pressure is continuous until all of the water is driven out through, and all .of the other material into, the perforated former. Then the air or steam is cut ofi and the product removed from the former by loweringthe bottom upon which the product rests, t e sides at the same time swing outward on their hinged supports in order to give free movement. The product may then be removed manually from the bottom and the latter returned to closed surface, so that when suction is used it only permits the air to drive the water with about fifteen pounds pressure per square inch of surface. That is about the maximum pressure that can be imparted by suction, because the uncompressed air compresses or bears against any surface with about its own weight. By admission from above the materials the air, or steam, or other aeriform fluid can be made to eject the water under pressure many times the pressure obtainable by suction, and thereby produce finished articles of much greater density, and more free from water or saturation. I have discovered that when suction is used much more water remains in the mass of compacted material than when the water is driven out by controlled aeriform fluid from behind. In the case of suction being used, when the suction is stopped, the pulp acts with a powerful suction so that any water remaining near the mass is at once drawn back and reabsorbed. It requires from thirty to forty pounds of pressure behind the water and through the mass to overcome this reabsorption, and to produce articles compacted with sufficient solidity and density to dispense with the requirement of subsequent mechanical pressure. Therefore, by the controlled aeriform fluid pressure from behind the water, a superior article, of greater density, and containing a minimum quantity of water, is produced, said article being of sufiicient density to dispense with the need of mechanical pressure for completion.

While I have shown a machine having a capacity of shaping or forming one article at a time, it is obvious that machines may be used which have a plurality of formers, and that many articles mav be produced at each operation. After removal, the articles may be subjected to heat or chemical treatment, though this may be found inessential in ma y instances.

, The process may be varied in'minor limits without change of resultor of quality of the product, andhence without restricting myself to unnecessary steps,

the liquid effectively to drive the liquid through the perforated former and through the particles deposited thereagainst, substantially as specified.

2. That process of molding fibrous pulp, which consists in injecting a flow of liquid into the pulp effectively to agitate and diffuse the pulp, simultaneously causing the li'quid to flow through, and deposit a thin layer of the pulp against, a perforated former outside the zone of agitation, and then stopping the agitation and simultaneously applying high steam pressure behind the liquid effectively ,to drive all the liquid through the perforated former and through the pulp deposited thereagainst, substantially as specified.

3. The herein described method of making articles, which consists in putting a mixture of cement and Water in a pressure chamber, admitting additional Water to said mixture in said chamber before the solids of the mixturehave settled and then increasing the pressure in the chamber above the liquid effectively to deposit the solid matter, upon the former or mold and press the water out therethrough, substantially as specified.

4.. The method of forming articles, which consists in placing a mixture of-cement and water upon the mold or former of a pressure chamber, admitting an additional quantity of water into said chamber before the solids of the mixture have settled, and then admitting aeriform fluid under increasing pressure to the chamber until the desired pressure is secured, substantially as specified.

5. ,The method of forming articles, which consists in placing a,mixture of fibrous material andcement and water upon'the mold or"former of a pressure chamber, admitting an additional quantity ofwater into said chamber before the solids of the mixture have settled, and then increasing the pressure in the chamber above the fluid to deposit the cement and fibrous material upon the mold or former and press the water out therethrough, substantially as specified.

6. The method of forming articles, WhlCll consists in placing a mixture of cement and water upon the mold or former on the bottom of the chamber, admitting a quantity of water upwardly into said chamber, and then admitting aeriform fluid under pressure to the chamber above the water to deposit the cement on the former and press the water out therethrough, substantially as specified.

7 The method of forming articles, which consists in placing a mixture of fibrous material and cement and water ina pressure chamber above themold or former, admitting additional water into said chamber below the level of the mixture, permitting primary flow of the mixture through the mold or former effectively to deposit a relatively thin layer of the fibrous material and cement on the former and then increasing the pressure in the chamber above the mixture effectively to deposit the remaining fibrous material and cement upon said relatively thin layer and press the water out therethrough, substantially as specified.

8. The method of making articles, which consists in placing a mixture of fibrous material and powdered solids and water upon the former of a pressure chamber, admitting an additional quantity of water to the chamber above said former and below the level of said mixture before the solids of the mixture have settled, and admitting steam under pressure to the chamber above the mixture and former to deposit the fibrous material and solids upon the former. and press the Water out therethrough.

9. That process of molding liquid-borne particles into shaped articles, which consists 1n injecting a'flow of liquid into and below the level of the liquid containing the particles, effectively to increase the quantity of liquid in proportion to the particles borne therein and to agitate and make even distribution of the particles through the increased quantityof liquid, depositing a thin layer of the particles agalnst a perforated former outside the zone of agitation by causing. a flow of the liquid through said former and then after said thin layer has been formed, applying a high aeriform pressure behind the liquid and particles effectively -to drive the liquid against the perforated former and through the particles gegosited thereagainst, substantially as speci- 10. The method of forming articles which consists in placing a mixture of fibrous materials and water within a mold at the bottom of a pressure chamber, permitting a quantity of the water to by y, In testimon whereof I hereto *Eiiix my through the side and bottom walls of the signature in t e presence of two w1tnesses.

mold, and then admitting steam under 4 pressure to the chamber above the mixture JULIAN RIVERS' to deposit the fibrous materials on the mold Witnesses:

and ress the water out therethrough, sub- F; J. MOCASLIN, stantmlly as specified. J. D. RIPPEY. 

